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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-12-11, Page 7WA ® .r ;; . TIG ';.OVE Listowel (51 9) 291-3040 CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS f THANK Y(``d1 To all those people who would have been willing to see me as mayor in the recent election Ernie Eaton 1 Iron C un ,, Council abandons closed meetings In a move described as "progressive" by retiring Warden Paul Steckle, Huron County Council has decided to permit the public to attend its committee meetings. This decision, one of the last made by the outgoing council, came during a special meeting Nov. 28, ending a long tradition of holding committee meetings behind closed doors: The proceedings at such IF YOU'VE GOT RAD PROBLEMS, WE'VE'GOT.... THEIDEAL SOLUTION. 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There are a number of exceptions to this policy, enabling eom ittees to deal with sensitive issues in closed session. These in- clude: — personnel matters in- volving identifiable em- ployees or potential em- ployees; —matters affecting labor relations or contract negotiations; — acquisition or disposal of municipal real property; —.exploratory discussions involving future develop- ment within the municipal- ity; — litigation or potential litigation affecting the municipality; —matters affecting the security of municipal property, or" investigations regarding possible in- fractions of bylaws or provincial statutes or regulations. E. Wawanosh gets grant A community- planning grant of $9,647 has been awarded to Huron County on behalf of the Township of East Wawanosh, Huron - Bruce MPP Murray Elston announced last week. He said the grant will be used to update the secondary plan of the township. Community planning grants are designed to en- courage municipalities to resolve land use planning issues to reflect municipal and economic issues. The grants may also be used for special 'studies to develop community im- provement policies and to assist in implementing the Planning Act. • • There also will be an in - camera session provided as the final item on the agenda of each meeting to permit discussion of such issues, if necessary. The issue of open and closed meetings has been a stormy one, with strong arguments presented by both sides each time the matter came up. Howevert the Nov. 28 meeting the recommendation presented by the executive committee passed unchallenged. Exeter Deputy Reeve Lossy Fuller said she, for one, welcomes the move. "I think this is a good resolution. It -has been a Ipng time coming." . Elsa Haydon, a Goderich resident who has regularly attended meetings of county council and its two open boards — library and health — said she is thrilled at the decision. Long an advocate of wore openness in municipal government, Mrs. Haydon said she felt like celebrating when the decision was made. The Wingham Advance -Times, Dec. 11, 1985—Page 5 NEW COUNCIL—Howick Township Council held its inaugural meeting on Dec. 3. In- vocation was by Rev. William Gray and after repeating their oaths; councillors were asked to say a few words to the small crowd that had come for the event. The new council is, from left to right: (back row) Coun. Norm Fairies, Coup, Harold Gibson, Coun. Alex Graham, (front row) Deputy Reeve 'John Jacques and Reeve Gerald D'Arcey. (Staff photo) Reeve loses bid to represent township at fire board meetings GORRIE — Howick To ship Council is still awaiti for word from the Ontar Municipal Board (OMB) the plan to construct a ne works shed for the townshi If no word is reached Dec. 13, however, councillo could decide to postpone t start of construction un spring. The delay in co struction will cost th township thousands dollars in Ministry Transportaion and Com munications grant money. An OMB hearing was hel in September because t construction of the propose shed earlier this fall woul have indebted an incomin council • and becaus residents in the area of th site at Lot 14, Concession 9 objected to the rezoning o the land from agricultural industrial. ' Because the "incoming council is now in office, Howick is only concerned about the OMB's ruling on the zoning question. After repeated phone calls to • the OMB, Howick Clerk - treasurer Marvin Bosetti learned the decision has been written but it has not yet been signed by the chairman Of the board. "It must be a long decision," quipped Coun. Alex Graham at the Dec, 3 meeting of council. "Maybe he's a slow reader," said Bill Kelley, of William Kelley and. Associates of Kitchener, the engineering firm which drew the plans for the shed. ' Mr. Kelley. was at the Dec. 3 meeting to- discuss the contract for the proposed shed with the two lowest bidders and the councillors. The lowest bidder, George Oriold' of Howick Homes. in Wroxeter reported to council he was not able to arrange a performance bond as stipulated by the tender. He said; however, he would still like the job and is prepared. to begin before the end of 1985 providing an ad- justment is made to the price to cover the costs of winter construction. Deputy Reeve John wn- wanted him to and if the ng weather wasn't too bad, but io he would prefer to wait till on spring. w Some members of council p. would prefer to begin the by construction before .1986 rs because otherwise it will lose he some of its MTC allocation til for 1985, perhaps as much as n- $60,000. e Also, if council does not of spend what the MTC has of anticipated it will spend on - its road budget, funds next year could be curtailed. d When Coun. Harold Gibson he asked'if council ought to wait d until spring, Deputy Reeve d Jacques said, "not necessar- g ily. If there's any way we can e get started this year, I think e we should do it." If council gets approval to from the OMl3, for the project before too long, it will have • to decide whether to give the Jacques told ;Mr. Oriold council would accept only a performance bond, and not, as•Mr.. Oriold had suggested, sufficient collateral to cover the difference between his price and the next lowest price. "I think if you can't put up a bond, we'll be forced to get another contractor," he said. "The $10,000 ( the amount of Mr. Oriold's bid bond) isn't peanuts but it's not much of a guarantee either." ' After speaking with Mr. Oriold, council asked him to leave the room for a few minutes and asked the press not_ to_ report -on—questions- asked of . the second lowest bidder, Carl Reinhardt, owner of Carl Reinhardt ,Ltd., of RR 2 Teeswater. Councillors and former reeve, Jack Sia-ffordt who was sitting in on the meeting, asked if he was prepared to begin the construction before the end of 1985 and if so, what alterations would there be to the price. Mr. Reinhardt said he could begin construction before January if council job to Mr. Oriold despite his lack of a performance bond, go. to the next bidder, whose price of $193,530 is $14,178 higher than Mr. Oriold's bid • of $179,352 or wait until spring and choose a con- tractor at that time. If the job goes to the second lowest . bidder, Deputy Reeve Jacques has already suggested Howick return Mr. Oriold's bid bond of $10,000. "We may even have a legal'right to retain the bond but my gut -feeling is that it would be very harmful to the contractor, namely George. Howick receives OMB ruling Shortly before press time it was learned Howick Township has received word from the Ontario Municipa Board .concerning plans t build a five -bay municipa works shed. The OMB has given ap- proval to both the financing and the rezoning of the land at Concession 14, Lot 9, fo the works shed. Howick Township Council will hold a meeting on Dec. 13 to discuss the possibility of beginning construction before 1986 and which construction company to hire for the project. Word from the OMB was received on Dec. 10, in •the afternoon and states, in part, "The board therefore ap- proves of the construction of a five -bay municipal works shed at an -estimated cost of $230,000." Although the land has not been purchased by the township , all is set for the $12,000 purchase of three acres now owned by William Bennett and Sons Farm Ltd. The nine -page decision by the OMB was signed by members D. M. Rogers and. G. M. Hobart. No spokesman for the Concerned Taxpayers of Howick, the group opposed to the previls council's fire plans and which testified against council during the recent OMB hearing, could be reached for comment prior to press time. 1 0 1 r I'd like to see it returned to him." • Coun. Gibson agreed, saying, "We're partly at fault too (that the con- struction was not able to begin.)." Coun. Norm Fairies said, "We can't hold George completely responsible. This isn't a normal situation by any stretch of the imagina- tion." Ironically, Howick Council will make the decision on how to proceed just two days before the date specified in the tender as- the completion date.for the project. The tender states' the project should be completed by Dec. 15 and that payments for the job would be limited' in 1985 to $90,000. Of that, the MTC would grant $60,000. The problem with the MTC grant money is it cannot be put in the bank for allocation ata later date. • Councillors discussed the possibility of allowing the designated contractor to buy materials for the project in 1985 for construction in 1986 in a bid to spend as much as possible this year and receive as much . grant money.as it can. Other roads -related pur- hcases could be made as well, such as new blades for the township's graders, as suggested by Roads Superin- tendent Glen Underwood. Fire business Despite the reeve's suggestion' that he represent the township at the Wingham and Area Fire Board meetings with Deputy Reeve Jacques, council voted to send Coun. Norm Fairies. Coun. Fairies will take the place of former reeve, Jack Stafford. Reeve Gerald ,D'Arcey said, "Well, I'm the reeve, I guess I'll be going to those meetings now." But Deputy Reeve Jacques said, "Not necessarily., Personally I'd like to see Norm come with me to Wingham. He's been working hard on this issue," "The reeve can't_gq?, a'sked Coun. Gibson. ."Not if council doesn't send him, he can't," said Deputy Reeve Jacques. • At this point, former reeve, Jack Stafford, sitting in on the meeting, said, "It's an open meeting, anyone can go if they want to." Deputy Reeve Jacques said, "I'll make the motion (to send Coun. Fairies) and if no one seconds it, so be it." Coun. Alex Graham seconded the motion and it was passed. Although at the time Coun. Gibson gave no indication of his vote, af- terwards he said, "I thought it was all cut and dried. I'd rather have seen the- reeve go." Council also passed a .bylaw to appoint a new chief .of the Wingham Fire Depart- ment. Harley Gaunt, formerly the deputy chief in Wing - ham, was named the succes- sor to Chief Dave Crothers, 66, who is resigning because of a bylaw calling for manda- tory retirement at age 651 The new chief's salary has not yet been set. After the bylaw was passed, Mr. Stafford 'asked councillors if they :had worded the bylaw properly. Though they assured him it had been worded properly, he asked township Clerk - /treasurer Marvin Bosetti to re -read it. Reeve D'Arcey informed councillors he would like to see representatives from . council speak with members • of the Listowel, Clifford and Harriston fire departments. Agreements with the ' departmentswill expire Dec. 31 and Reeve D'Arcey ex- plained he would like to see Howick have "better working relationships with these people." Mr• Bosetti was asked to prepare letters arranging a meeting between township councillors and the fire departments. Also at the Dec, 3 meeting, Mr. Stafford gave his final fire board meeting report to . Council. When he was reeve of Howick, Mr. Stafford attended meetings of the Wingham and Area Fire Board and was appointed chairman of the board shortly -before -the ._ertd ef-his .. —_ -- term on council. Mr. Stafford reported on several radio-communica- • tion systems the board is considering purchasing for the firemen. COMMUNITY CALENDAR /ei/ INSURANCE BROKERS LTD. Insurance - All types. Home, business, auto, farm, life. WiNGHAM 357-2636 GORRIE 335-3525 Thurs., aec. 12' to Wed. Dec. 18, 1985 Thurs. Dec, 12 --Ffi--SeF-13-•-- Sat. Dec. 14 Wingham Santa Claus Parade. Starting at 1:00 p.m. Sun. Dec. 15 Wingham & District Optimist Christmas Party For Children, 2:00 p.m., Wingham Legion. Christmas Cantata, "Born A King", St. Andrew's Presbyterian Ehtmrk, 7:50 17. tsi . • Everyone Welcome. Mon. Dec. 16 -Morris Township Council, 7:30 p.m., Township Shed. Tues Wed Dec. 17 Dec. 18 Child Health Clinic, Adults Also, 9:30 -11:30 a.m., Wingham & District Hospital Clinic, Wingham & District Hospital Board Meeting, 8:00 p.m., Hospital Boardmom. �i11rr� 4�►1,•;�.�;1ti��'►�1 a►'►.�1:.h.:!►•��!;4���r,N�•�'►1;